


A Sight Beyond - Fragments of "An Unbearable Sight"

by Ponderess



Series: AUS - Universe [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Action/Adventure, Canon - Manga, Character Study, Drama, Gen, Manga Spoilers, One-Shot Collection, UA - universe alteration, saw this tag suggestion on Tumblr and totally using it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-15
Updated: 2014-04-17
Packaged: 2018-01-01 15:49:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1045697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ponderess/pseuds/Ponderess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>In the damp walls of her prison cell Annie and Eren fell in love. But the world is bigger than that and there are far more stories to tell.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Additional scenes and scenarios for my story <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/1023017">An Unbearable Sight</a> that don't center around the relationship of Annie and Eren.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Attack on Wall Maria

**Author's Note:**

> In the process of writing [An Unbearable Sight](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1023017) I've come to realise that there are far more things I want to tell that tie in with the story, but are not relevant for the main plot. So in order to focus on the story of Annie and Eren in _An Unbearable Sight_ but still having an opportunity to tell these segments, I started this kind of spin-off. It will consist of random one-shots covering different periods in time and featuring multiple characters from the _SnK_ universe. And yes, it's definitely not stand-alone and I'm following the canon I established for _An Unbearable Sight_.
> 
> Rating and Archive Warnings may change, depending on future chapters. 
> 
> Starting off with Berthold and some huge manga spoilers, so beware.

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**Fragment 01: Attack on Wall Maria**

.: :.

Their mission had been assigned, they were on their way.

Berthold watched as the landscape passed beneath him, he didn't really pay attention though. Annie's heavy footsteps were rocking his body, but he was used to travelling on the huge shoulder of her titan form by now. Beside him Reiner and Berik were sitting on the broad muscle that ran along the bone structure going from the spine to the arm.

The four of them had been chosen, declared their people's last hope. Each of them had their role in the plan they were about to execute according to their titan form's abilities. Berthold wished someone else would've been picked in his stead, but he knew that wasn't possible. His titan form was unique and no one else could do the job he was assigned. He had inherited it from his father and had mastered its perfect control in several years of training.

It was similar with his three comrades. And just like him they were still very young und thus less likely to be affected by the disease that had started to befall their tribe. So far the people that had irreversibly transformed into titans and lost control had been at least in their thirties or older. Thus the tribe council had picked children and prepared them for a mission that was supposed to save their people.

Berik was thirteen and the oldest of their group. That's why he had been put in charge of them to make the important calls – because there was only a limited amount of planning beforehand possible and they would have to make some things up as they went along. Reiner and Berthold were twelve, while Annie was eleven. She was the best long-distance runner of them that's why she was carrying them to their destination: the walls of the humans.

They had crossed most of the distance from their village to mankind's stronghold. With Annie's speed they would be there in the early afternoon, just as planned. That would leave them with just about enough time to breach Wall Maria and Wall Rose in one go. They had no time to spare…

When they saw it coming, it was far too late. A titan threw itself with full force at Annie's legs, making her huge body lose balance from the unexpected impact. The three boys on her shoulder were thrown forward into the air and landed unpleasantly in the grass a few metres away.

"Reiner, Berthold – are you alright?" Berik called.

"Yeah, I think so," Berthold managed and pulled himself up by the hand that reached out to him.

He looked around and spotted Reiner getting to his feet only a few steps away. Berik who had helped the younger boy up, patted his shoulder with his free hand.

"Where's Annie?" Berthold asked, because he couldn't make out her titan form.

But none of the others got the chance to reply, because just then the titan that had thrown Annie over and landed them in this misery appeared hungrily before Reiner. The boy stumbled backwards a step and froze up just like Berthold behind him.

The wild seven-metre-class crouched on its knees, baring its pointy teeth at them. It came crawling towards them, stretching out its long arm. It was aiming for Reiner. Berthold stood there, watching in horror. He felt so scared, too scared to move. And the same seemed to go for Reiner, because he didn't even attempt to avoid the grasping hand, despite Berthold internally wishing for him to do so.

Berik, however, reacted in time, stepping forward and shoving Reiner backwards. As the younger boy fell to the ground once more, the hungry titan grasped the one that was in its reach, enclosing Berik in its huge fingers. Neither Berthold nor Reiner were able to think or do anything, they just watched in horror as the titan brought a struggling Berik to his mouth and sunk its spiky teeth into his torso without mercy.

"No!" Reiner exclaimed, coming back to his senses and launching forward.

Berthold, too, moved – whether to support Reiner or to hold him back he wasn't sure. But they didn't come very far. They hadn't even noticed her approaching in their horror, they only noticed when her fingers engulfed them and picked them up from the ground in one grasp.

The palm was familiar. Berthold turned his head to look up at Annie's face, steam evaporating from scratches the attacking titan had left on her with its claws when getting her out of the way. She moved her hand to her chest, holding Reiner and Berthold close, as she turned and ran the other way.

"No, what are you doing?!" Reiner shouted at her. "We have to get back, take down that titan and save Berik! He can still make it! Annie, we need him! Annie!"

But she ignored his protest and struggling between her fingers as she headed in their destined direction. In fact she even picked up her speed.

Berthold said nothing while Reiner just screamed beside him and hammered on Annie's fingers, half of him still in denial about their loss, half of him mourning Berik who had given his life for him.

.: :.

From the edge of the forest where they rested they could see it: the complex where humanity had sought refuge, the walls they needed to enter – and they would do it by force. Berthold looked at them stretching out in the distance. So that was it, the stronghold of the humans. Though he had been told that they looked just like his people, they seemed so alien to him.

Annie sat on a branch nearby, leaning against the trunk of the tree while recovering from her long run. Reiner stood in front of her, arguing.

"Why did you leave Berik behind?! He was our leader, we _need_ him!"

But Annie just stared at him out of cold blue eyes.

"In your opinion, what was I supposed to do?" she hissed.

"Take down that stupid titan and get him out of there!"

Berthold saw her eyebrows narrow in anger.

"What if I had been unable to beat it? What if we'd attracted other titans? What if either of you had been eaten, too, while I was busy saving Berik? Basically, what if things had gotten worse than they already were?"

Her sharp tone left Reiner quiet.

"Why don't you – instead of telling me what I should've done back then – tell us how we're going to proceed now with one man down."

Berthold wasn't sure if he fully understood what was happening. Reiner looked equally stunned. He had just given her crap and pissed her off – was she really proposing he should take the lead now? Admittedly she'd been the only one who had acted after Berik got caught, shouldn't she be claiming that position for herself?

Annie got to her feet, almost reaching eye-level with Reiner.

"Don't look at me like that," she continued. "Berik gave his life for yours, because you are essential for our mission. So it's your responsibility to make sure that his sacrifice wasn't in vain and we succeed."

At first Reiner stared at her, then his gaze wandered, as he considered her words. Finally, he locked eyes with Berthold, as if he was asking him whether he was okay with this. Berthold gave him a nod. He knew he couldn't take the lead himself and they needed someone in charge. If Annie was willing to accept Reiner as their leader, then so was Berthold.

Reiner took a deep breath to collect himself.

"Alright," he said, frowning in thought. "Annie, do you think you could transform once more and take over Berik's part in the mission?"

She shrugged.

"Could be a bit too much," she admitted.

Reiner nodded, his gaze gracing the distant walls.

"We need to reschedule," he began. "First thing: we have to forget about taking down Wall Rose today. We'll just do Wall Maria for now. And then see how things go."

.: :.

They had waited until the sun started to set. Annie had needed to rest up a bit more before she could effectively transform again. But most of all they needed to enter Wall Rose pretending they were human refugees from Wall Maria, so they couldn't risk the titans crossing too much territory before they were safe inside the walls. The upcoming night should provide them with the time they needed to get away from the advancing titans that would become inactive in the darkness.

Berthold stood on the broad shoulder of Reiner's titan form. He knew Annie was on the other side of the fleshy neck that wasn't covered with hardened skin for the sake of flexibility. Like this they had advanced until the very stone of Wall Maria's most southern district Shiganshina. They had studied it well on the map that had been passed down in the tribe – the same map that also held the location of the secret passageway straight to the capital inside of Wall Sina.

That passageway would've been their preferred way to enter the walls, but the entry to it was nearly impossible to breach. The Founder Families were keeping a close eye on it and a meeting with them there required the compliance of strict formalities. Berthold remembered his father mentioning as much when preparing to ask the Founder Families for their help to save his race.

No titan shifter had ever entered there, the humans didn't want them inside the walls – and obviously the humans didn't care what happened to the titan shifters. That's why to save their tribe Reiner, Annie and Berthold were now preparing to breach the walls of mankind and hopefully find inside the coordinate, the formula that could preserve the existence of the titan shifter race.

Reiner stretched out his massive arm parallel to the wall. That was Berthold's sign. He started down the hardened skin until he reached the huge palm. He braced himself and indeed Reiner lost no time to enclose him in his fingers and letting his hand down, gaining momentum. Then – much faster – Berthold was raised upwards, way above Reiner's head, and released into the air.

The lanky boy felt the air ruffling his hair as he propelled skywards. He counted silently, his lips forming the numbers without actually making a sound as he rose in the cold air. He felt the momentum of the throw weaken and gravity pull him downwards again. The feeling was so familiar. He had practiced countless times for pinpointing this exact moment. He lost no time, raised his hand to his mouth and bit into his own flesh.

'Breach Wall Maria!'

Immediately he felt the tingly sensation of new heaps of muscles spreading from his body and bones building up – all in a matter of seconds. His titan body – though immensely huge with his sixty metres – formed in no time, his enormous feet pressing into the grassy ground, air vibrating from the charge of electricity that accompanied the transformation.

He could feel as everything came into place, all the nerves were connected and he could take full control of the unique form he possessed and see the images that presented themselves to its eyes. Bringing up his colossal hands to edge of the wall slowly, he raised himself to his full height. His skinless face rising above the heavy construction he looked down on the settlement it contained.

There they were: humans, seeming to him like petty ants in his gargantuan state. They were frozen in place between their tiny houses, probably terrified by his appearance. They meant nothing to him.

Berthold did not waste his time with their pitiful sight. He got into action, swinging back his leg to gain momentum. The immense size of his body slowed his movements, but it increased the power of his foot's impact as it barged forward and smashed into the gate. He could feel it break as his hot, skinless muscles connected with it. The surge of the collision catapulted the created rubble into the streets and houses nearby.

His part was done. Berthold moved the arms of his actual body, disconnecting the first strings of huge muscle that kept his titan form upright through his will. The construction dissolved just as quickly as it had formed – another speciality of his titan body – and again Berthold spiralled towards the ground.

Peaking down he saw Reiner's outstretched hand ready to catch him. This would've been Berik's part. The older boy had known how to break Berthold's fall after endless hours of training in preparation for this moment. Reiner didn't. As he sped down, Berthold could tell he was going to miss the save palm by several centimetres.

Reaching out his arm he tried to grip one of Reiner's outstretched fingers, but he couldn't get a hold. Helplessly he fell through the gaps and he closed his eyes, preparing to hit the dangerous ground soon.

Fingers wrapped around his wrist and abruptly Berthold came to a stop, dangling in mid- air. As he looked up he found Annie leaning dangerously far over the edge of Reiner's huge hand, holding on to his arm. She brought down her other hand, grabbing onto Berthold as well to ensure he didn’t slip through her grip.

Meanwhile Reiner had reacted and brought up his other palm beneath his companion’s feet. Thus Berthold managed to climb up next to Annie with the joint help of his comrades. He rested panting on the hardened skin beside the younger girl.

"Thanks," he managed between two heavy breathes.

Annie gave him a cold glance that nearly made him shiver. She sure was a tough case.

Now came the hard part and he knew he had to focus. Without Berik it would become way more difficult to pass all the titans. So far the hungry beasts had ignored them despite being so close to the gate, because the masses of humans behind the breached wall were far more appealing. But the three titan shifters needed to pass through the broken gate now as well and that meant they had to mingle with the mindless, grinning creatures making their way into human territory.

Annie got to her feet and started to balance her way up to Reiner's shoulder. Berthold, too, picked himself up and followed her. They reached the brawny neck and he rested his hand against the muscle stretching upwards, giving Reiner the reassurance that they were set to go.

"Ready when you are," Berthold offered.

At that Reiner started to shift on his feet, preparing himself for the next move. Obviously he didn't want to barge into the middle of a crowd of titans, so he waited a little longer until there were bigger gaps between the filing in creatures.

Berthold felt the rocking in his body as his comrade started to move, the heavy footfall of his shifter form blending in with the steps of the mindless monsters making their way into the wall. He mingled with the hungry predators and entered the Shiganshina District.

.: :.

"Come on," Annie gestured for Berthold to follow her along a row of houses.

Reiner had brought them as close to the inner gate as he dared without risking to be seen. They had stuck to running alongside the high walls enclosing the human settlement that was sinking in terror and chaos now.

Berthold did as he was told, catching up with Annie and nervously looking in all directions. The screams of the horrified humans as the titans descended on them without mercy put him on edge. It was one thing to look down onto them from his colossal titan form, but being there, right in the middle of things simply as the twelve-year-old he was, was something entirely different.

Maybe it was, because he suddenly could sympathise. He knew the horror in their voices, had felt the same anguish only a few years back. Cold blue eyes shrouded with unsatisfiable hunger fixing him; rows of merciless teeth parting to crunch him between them; a gigantic hand reaching for him like an inevitable fate; his father getting in the way, being crushed in his stead; a young girl crying and screaming as the humongous body that once belonged to her mother came crashing down as a lifeless lump of meat, evaporating into steam. The same girl that could take on a titan form so very similar to that of her mother. The same girl that now led the way along the disregarded edge of the district.

Annie was so different from how she had been back then. The Annie five years ago had been bursting over with sorrow, fear, pain and agony. The Annie moving before him now seemed scarily devoid of emotion. Age probably had a part in that, her loss and five years of strict training most likely were the main reason.

Still, Berthold admired her levelheadedness, knowing that her quick decisions were one reason their mission hadn't gone to hell yet. He owed her his life – twice now in just one day – and he wouldn't forget her that. In terms of getting along with her he wasn't so sure, however he had other things on his mind right now.

According to plan Berik was supposed to get them through the Shiganshina District, so without him they had been forced to reorganise. Berthold's titan wasn't designed for the job and Annie's female form would draw too much attention. Reiner couldn't be seen with children on his shoulders either – they had been sworn to be as discreet about their titan shifter abilities as possible. It was elementary for their cover, for them to blend in with the humans who – for the biggest part at least – didn't know titan shifters existed and were not supposed to learn that detail. That's why Annie and Berthold had to get through the inner gate of Wall Maria on their own feet.

The deafening sounds of cannon shots got louder and ahead they saw the soldiers that fired repeatedly from the barrels in a desperate attempt to fend off the titans while civilians were still evacuating through the gate. The two young titan shifters approached carefully, wary of one of the gigantic creatures coming for them as well as the humans somehow uncovering their real identities. Berthold could feel his heartbeat in his throat, hear it pulse through the veins of his ears. He wondered if it was the same for Annie.

Shouting about closing the gate mingled with the cannon fire. Other things were being called out, but Berthold couldn't quite catch them.

He and Annie were almost at the gate when they could feel it: the resounding tremor of heavy footfall coming closer, approaching fast – so much faster than all the lazy steps of the ever-hungry, ever-grinning titans.

Berthold stopped next to Annie, peering down the wide street to their left that lead through Shiganshina and straight to the inner gate of Wall Maria to their right that still was open to groups of people passing through to save themselves. They could see him, his hardened skin gleaming golden in the evening sun: Reiner was launching his attack.

More shouting, voices resonating with panic as Reiner's body resisted the cannon balls with ease and his indestructible form targeted the closing gate. His two comrades just watched, eyes following the quick movements as he drove his gigantic body into the descending gate. The heavy construction stood no chance against the force of the impacted, breaking from Reiner's weight, and the boy in the over-dimensional suit of flesh passed through it, disappearing from the sight of Berthold and Annie.

Breach of Wall Maria complete.

"Oi, kids!" A soldier had spotted the two titan shifters and Berthold's eyes widened in fear at being discovered.

"Get the hell through the gate before the rest of them are coming and head for Wall Rose!" the unknown guard instructed. "We'll try and hold them back as long as we can. Now run!"

Berthold felt incapable to react. This man, these people were offering to put their lives on the line, to die so he and Annie could get away. And all the while it was his fault. _He_ had breached the outer gate, _he_ had let the titans into the territory of the humans, _he_ had brought all this misery on them – and still they were doing their best to save him.

He wasn't deserving of this, Berthold thought. He wanted to decline, tell the man he wasn't worth saving, that he had started all this in the first place. He wanted to take it back, all the damage he had caused by crashing the outer gate. It had been so simple, so easy – and now he was faced with the severe result of his deed and he just wanted to make it stop and rewind time, but he knew he couldn't.

Beside him Annie reached for his hand and started to run towards the destroyed gate. Her tight grip forced him to move along. Once again while he had been frozen in place she had lost no time and taken action. And somewhere deep down inside of him – beneath all the overwhelming tumult of numbness suffocating the guilt – Berthold was thankful.

The clapping sounds of their small feet on the cobblestone were being drowned out by the loud cannon shots behind them. Annie steered to the left as soon as they had passed the gate, away from the canal where ships brimming over with refugees headed for safety. Berthold only caught a short glimpse of them as he dove with his comrade out of sight in the offset of the human settlement.

Reiner already awaited them in the shadow of Wall Maria. He was panting from the strain of the transformation and the marks beneath his eyes where the flesh of his titan body had connected were still faintly visible, but he looked unharmed.

He greeted his two comrades with a the hint of a smile. "Good to see you're alright."

Neither Annie nor Berthold responded. Their leader brushed over it – probably he hadn't expected a reply of them. He leaned his head back and glanced up to the sky, estimating the approach of the night.

"Let's get going then," he suggested. "With the incoming night we should be able to cross two thirds of the way to Wall Rose on Annie's shoulders. The rest of the distance we can cover by foot."

Annie nodded in silently confirmation as Reiner looked at her expectantly. Retrieving the ring with the spike from her pocket she prepared to transform a second time today and carry them once more closer to their destination: the coordinate that was supposed to safe their race.

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	2. A Troubled Man

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Commander Erwin Smith has a lot to worry about. No one ever said leading what is probably the most controversial branch of the military is easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I guess knowing what happens in _An Unbearable Sight_ up to chapter 8 is helpful for context, but I don't know.
> 
> Also, poor Erwin.

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**Fragment 02: A Troubled Man**

.: :.

Sometimes Commander Erwin Smith would go to visit the horses. It was not like the animals needed his particular care, but in the relative quiet of the stables he found it easier to think over matters that caused him quite a headache. Also, he didn't get disturbed as frequently as that was the case if he remained in his office.

It happened on rare occasions only and apart from Levi no one knew about this habit as far as Erwin was aware – otherwise there was admittedly little to no point to it. But right now the captain was not around and the horses had already been tended to, so the commander was surprised to hear footsteps approaching.

Upon turning around he found Hanji walking over. The squad leader had her head lowered, her gaze stuck to the ground, appearing to be in deep thought. Her shoulders slumped and arms hanging down by her sides made her seem downcast, which was a rare sight.

She was only a few steps away when she finally looked up and registered Erwin standing there. Hanji stopped, her face expressing her astonishment for a split second. When she caught herself her gaze slid back to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Commander," she mumbled, "I hadn't expected to find you here."

"It's alright." Erwin managed one of his calm, assuring smiles despite the worries hiding behind his forehead. "Why have you come?" he then inquired softly, tending to the horse again he had been petting prior to noticing her arrival.

"I'm not sure, I needed some space to think," she offered in a flat tone. "What about you?"

"Something like that, too."

"Oh, I don't want to disturb you then."

Hanji began to turn away, but stopped in her movement. Her lips did not part, yet upon glancing sideways at her Erwin had the impression there was something she wanted to say by how she remained there, gaze averted and brows knitted together. Whatever was bothering her, she hesitated to put it into words.

"What is it?" the commander inquired softly, turning from his horse once again and giving his full attention to the woman standing beside him.

The squad leader shortly pursed her lips before speaking. Her stance remained unchanged. "Is it true that they intend to cut our budget?"

Erwin suppressed a sigh. "I'm afraid so. I intend to write an appeal on how the maintenance of our funds is vital to the Scouting Legion and humanity as a whole, but I doubt there's much we can do."

One of the horses huffed disapproving as Hanji drove her fist into the wood of the door to it's barn, but due to their breeding and special training the animals in the stable remained relatively unfazed by the woman's small outburst.

"Damn!" she hissed. Her head was tilted downwards and her brown bangs shielded her eyes from Erwin's view.

"It's not fair!" she pressed out between her teeth, her body remaining frozen. "First they force us to release Pastor Nick without letting us question him when he might know something – the whole Wall Cult might know something about the origins of the walls, but they don't tell and we're not allowed to ask." Hanji gripped the wood of the barn door tightly. "Then they order us to omit any kind of experiments with Eren that could help us with further exploring and understanding his powers."

"And now," she exclaimed louder than before, "they want to cut our funds which would leave us unable to go on any further missions and basically render us obsolete as a military branch."

By now her body was shaking from anger and frustration. "It's like they don't want us to succeed. It's like they don't want mankind to expand beyond these walls."

The commander knew the bitterness vibrating in his subordinate's voice only too well. It gnawed at him as much as it seemed to pester her. Hanji was right: if they lost their financial support the Scouting Legion would become inoperable and basically useless. All the sacrifices they had made so far, all the blood and pain they had invested would be for nothing. _He_ would have wasted all those lives of the soldiers he had sent to their deaths so far.

If the Scouting Legion would be getting disbanded like that the hope on retaking Wall Maria would become meaningless and any chance of reclaiming land for humanity would dissolve, possibly once and for all. In these walls mankind would continue to live and in these walls mankind would die and one day even these walls would possibly break and fall apart and their people would have nowhere to run to and nothing left but their gruesome deaths.

"Let's hope Levi has better luck with getting some information out of Annie Leonhard," Erwin noted, stroking the horse before him again. His words however were more an attempt to reassure himself than cheer his subordinate up. "Maybe we can learn something from her that will help us convince the higher-ups that our work is of more importance for mankind than it ever seemed."

Hanji unclenched her fist and shifted to lean against the barn door with crossed arms. Behind her the animal pawed the ground and proceeded to eat some hay.

"It's been almost a month since we captured her and she still hasn't spoken a word," she pointed out. "What the fuck is Levi doing in the old headquarters? Having a tea party?" It was rare for Hanji to criticise someone in such a serious tone – especially the captain who ranked above her – but then the whole situation in general was rather rare for her. "You would think that an ex-thug like him would've beaten the whole story out of her by now."

Erwin couldn't quite suppress a smile at the thought of the man he had chosen as his captain. "You know, despite what most people think Levi is not very fond of using violence – especially against someone who is basically still a kid. You weren't there, but I actually had to argue with him for quite a while to convince him to beat up Eren during the trial."

"Ha," the squad leader huffed surprised. "Considering that, he was giving Eren an extremely thorough beating."

"Yeah," the commander agreed, "if he does something he does it right and follows through with it till the end or he might as well not do it at all. That's his policy I think."

"Well, maybe somebody should remind him of that again, because we seriously need some answers here. I think I'm really not exaggerating when I say mankind's future is at stake."

"I agree." Erwin stopped petting the horse and stared into the distance for a moment without taking in what he was looking at. "I actually thought about checking on things in the old headquarters personally. – Do you know what Mikasa, Armin and Jean are doing at the moment?"

"I'm having them help with the inventory on our provisions, why?"

"Oh, you know" – the commander turned towards Hanji – "I thought they could accompany me maybe. It would be a chance for them to see their childhood friend and comrade from training days."

"I see," she declared. "I can send them by your office anytime you want."

"Thank you," Erwin replied. "Tomorrow afternoon would be convenient. By the way," he added, his mind having switched from brooding to work-mode, "do you happen to know if Mike's report arrived?"

"A messenger delivered it only a while ago," Hanji informed him. "I forwarded it to your desk."

"Good, I'll go have a look at it then," he said, deciding to end his visit to the stables for the day. Upon passing the squad leader he shortly rested his hand on her shoulder. "Keep your head up, soldier. We're not done fighting yet."

"Yes sir!"

.: :.

As expected, Mike's report held little to no news. So far the young recruits that were under suspicion of being Annie Leonhard's accomplices were being kept busy with a training program the commander and his trusted squad leaders had made up. They remained unaware of Annie's imprisonment and being suspected – at least for now. Erwin doubted this lousy strategy would work out for much longer. He'd hoped that Levi's interrogation of the blond titan shifter would've shown some results by now, but that had turned out to be a miscalculation.

Hanji was right, it seemed like on their way to fight for mankind they had met several dead ends. Since taking over as commander of the Scouting Legion after the fall of Wall Maria five years ago Erwin had repeatedly been faced with the need to justify the necessity of the military branch he was leading. But never had things looked quite as bad as they did now. And there he had thought that with Eren in their ranks progress would finally come and they'd be able to drive the titans back.

Instead however, he had spent long hours weighing his words in his appeal to General Commander Zackly for the continuation of the support of the Scouting Legion. It had cost Erwin a whole afternoon and at least half of his dearly needed nightly rest. Scanning through Levi's reports from the past three weeks after such a short night because of such a troublesome chore was extremely frustrating.

Reports had always been one of the captain's least favourite tasks. Usually Erwin would read through the man's accounts in amusement, picturing Levi how he muttered and cursed over the disagreeable duty while trying to assemble the words to a matter-of-factly depiction of the events of a mission as it was expected for a military report. Over the years the former thug had vastly improved at it and the commander was probably the only one who knew Levi well enough to guess his remaining dislike for this basic military procedure.

However, today all that Erwin could think of was the grim reminder that every day of every week in nearly a whole month had passed leaving their efforts fruitless. Maybe he would have to fall back onto a completely new strategy. Maybe he would have to call in each of the suspected recruits for questioning, keep them separated from each other and pressure every single one of them claiming that Annie had sold them out until the actual accomplice would break down and talk.

That would be their last straw, the commander decided. Should Annie Leonhard's lips remain sealed even when tortured, framing her with her possible comrades might do the trick rather than brute force. After all whoever was her accomplice still had their cover to lose.

A knock on his office door interrupted Erwin in his deliberations. He glanced at his pocket-watch that he had placed on his desk to check the time. Upon realising that it was still early afternoon the commander felt strangely underemployed for a moment, there was no planning for a mission beyond the walls to be dealt with that could keep him busy for several long hours after all.

"Come in," he offered with raised voice, so his visitor would hear him outside in the hallway.

The door was opened without delay and in came Mikasa Ackermann, followed by Armin Arlert and Jean Kirschstein. The three young recruits were – apart from Eren of course – the only ones from the 104th training squad that were cleared of any suspicion to have aided the Female Titan in the sabotage of the 52nd mission beyond the walls. Incorporating them into the operation to uncover Annie Leonhard as the hostile titan shifter had proven favourable, so Erwin felt no necessity to keep them away from as much information as possible.

"You wanted to see us, sir," Mikasa noted.

"Yes," Erwin confirmed. No sign of the thoughts he had been brooding on prior to their entry remained on his face and he gave the three young recruits a gentle smile.

"It's just a small matter," he informed them. "I intend to head to the old headquarters tomorrow and had hoped you three could accompany me there."

"The old headquarters?" Mikasa echoed, her formality faltering a little. "You mean, to see Eren?"

"That is right."

"Hold up," Jean barged in. "I can understand why you're calling in those two" – he pointed at his two comrades – "for that, but why me as well?"

"Oh," Erwin made a point of sounding surprised. "I thought you'd appreciate a change of environment, too, but if you would like to continue helping with the inventory you're very welcome to do so."

"No, no, it's fine," Jean relented quickly. "I'm coming along."

"Good," Erwin concluded. "We're riding out tomorrow morning."

.: :.

"So, why did you bring along those kids again?" Levi inquired, leaning his head back against the wall. "Especially that Kirschstein – what's the deal with him anyway?"

They were sat in the captain's temporary office at the old headquarters and had retired after thoroughly discussing the questioning of Annie Leonhard that would take place tomorrow and would be left in Eren's hands mostly. Erwin had not mentioned it, but the news that the blond titan shifter had announced she'd reveal everything – be it because she had developed a weakness for Eren or because she had just given up her resistance, he didn't really care – had brought him great relief.

Despite the main part still lying ahead, Erwin had given in to his need to let loose for a bit and organised some hard liquor. He knew about Levi's aversion to drinking alcohol, but he had still urged him to have at least one glass with him until the man had finally given in. Three or four glasses later and Erwin could feel the drowsiness the drink caused in his head. He was sure that his friend wasn't doing any different – if so, the short man probably experienced the effects a little stronger given the difference in height and body weight.

"I'm not sure I understand the point you're trying to make," Erwin noted, keeping his voice broadly free of his amusement despite the light intoxication.

Levi grunted in annoyance. "I just mean: why Jean Kirschstein as well?" His speech was slurred, so Erwin had been right that he was a little more under the influence. "He and Eren don't really get along. I don't want to have to...to have them get into a fight or something." It seemed he was already having troubles at forming sentences. "Especially someone with Eren's temper could get carried away. And we'd be the ones...having to clean up the mess."

"Do you think it's that bad?" Erwin asked, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Hell if I know!" Levi sighed and rubbed his eyes lazily.

"How do you even know about that? Did Eren tell you?"

"Oh, no idea." Levi slipped sideways and swung his legs over the armrest, so that he ended up lying on his back, his head next to Erwin's lap. "I forgot."

Erwin chuckled lightly. Catching Levi drunk was a rare incident, but instead of feeling guilty for being responsible for it, the commander experienced a form of mischievous joy. He watched as the captain loosened his necktie.

"And there I thought you might have gotten closer to Eren than you should have." In any other situation Erwin would've never even thought about saying something like that, but it was Levi he was talking to and they were both drunk and actually Erwin couldn't care less right now. The two men had known each other for over five years and if there was one person Erwin would entrust with his life without hesitation then it was Levi.

The short man snorted. "What do you take me for? Some kind of pervert?"

"Mh!" Erwin smiled about his ridiculous thoughts. "You're right, you're not the type."

Levi replied with a mumbled "ha!" and they fell silent. His head heavy from the alcohol, Erwin closed his eyes and leaned it back against the wall. He could feel his perception weaken and his mind gradually slipping further from full consciousness as he slumped deeper into the couch.

"Would you be jealous if it was like that?"

Erwin blinked his eyes open and tried to get a sense of reality again. However, Levi's words still didn't quite make sense to him as he repeated them in his head.

"What kind of question is that?" he inquired.

"Oh, you're right," the dark-haired man exclaimed and waved his hand erratically in the air above his head. It was unusual for his speech to be accompanied by any gestures. "Forget that I asked."

Erwin readjusted in his seat and shook his head slightly to regain some concentration. His gaze wandered down to rest on his friend. The man's eyelids were drooping and his lips were slightly parted. He seemed to be at the verge of dozing off.

The sight gave Erwin a pang in his chest. All those feelings he usually kept in check came bubbling up to torment him. There lay the man he had grown to love and desire, the man he knew would never reciprocate his feelings. The painful reminder hit him like an overwhelming wave in his fragile state of intoxication and he knew he had brought this upon himself by involving alcohol.

What a pitiful man he was. Erwin Smith, thirteenth commander of the Scouting Legion, great strategist and here he was unable to resist this rare sight of Levi's relaxed face. His iron resolve, already severely damaged from the alcohol, began to melt away completely.

Unable to think straight, the blond man slowly leaned down until his face hovered a few centimetres above Levi's. There he hesitated. He wanted to touch those thin lips that emitted warm, regular heaps of breath smelling faintly of booze, but he knew that he shouldn't.

"Are you going to kiss me?" the short man murmured, apparently well aware of what was going on despite having seemed to be almost asleep until just now.

"That was the plan," Erwin confirmed, not ashamed of admitting it. His feelings for his subordinate were no secret to the man, they just hadn't brought it up in years.

"Are you taking advantage of your position and this situation?"

"Oh yes!"

Erwin closed the rest of the distance between them and pressed his lips onto Levi's. As expected the dark-haired man did not kiss back, but he also did not shove him away. Erwin thanked and cursed the alcohol for that.

After a short moment the blond man broke away and sat up on the couch again.

"Well, it was worth a try," he noted humorously.

"Whatever makes you happy," Levi commented.

They fell silent again, each of them tending to their own thoughts. Erwin stored away the memory of Levi's lips in the back of his mind for the rare occasions he allowed himself to dwell on his personal matters. It surely would prove to be a sweet torment for him in the one or the other lonely night.

Finally Levi moved next to him and sat up. With his fingers he tried to untangle the mess of dark strands his usually neat uppercut had turned into. Erwin wouldn't mind to help with that – he honestly wouldn't mind to do the exact opposite while making feverish love to this man – but that wasn't going to happen. The kiss was the only slip he would allow himself.

After having sorted out his hair, Levi stood up from the couch. He walked a few steps and then stopped right in front Erwin to stretch extendedly, causing the hem of his shirt to partly slip out of his trousers. Erwin wondered if the other man was doing it on purpose, but he couldn't deny that he enjoyed the sight either way. He added it to the memory of Levi's lips, just in case.

"I'm going to sleep," Levi declared, walking towards the door, "and I think you should retire, too. Tomorrow is an important day and the Scouting Legion's future depends on its outcome – you wouldn't want to be hung-over and sleep-deprived then."

"You're right," Erwin agreed, standing up himself.

"You'll find your bed, right? You don't need me to take you there."

"No, I'm fine," the blond man assured, picking up the liquor bottle from the couch table. "If someone needs guidance to their bed it's probably you."

"Ha!" Levi grunted. "I can walk just fine, so don't you worry, old man."

"I bet you can," Erwin murmured with a smile.

"Well, whatever. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, goodnight."

The office door fell shut behind Levi and Erwin was alone. He inspected the liquor bottle in his hand. Only a sip of the alcoholic beverage was left in it. For all it was worth he might as well empty the bottle.

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	3. Nightly Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the 57th mission beyond the walls failed, the new recruits of the Scouting Legion are stationed in the territory of Wall Rose to do what they're told is special training. But something is off and when Ymir discover's just what exactly is going on, things are already happening out of her control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before chapter 21 of [An Unbearable Sight](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1023017) is getting released this weekend, some background on what led to Ymir arriving with Reiner and Berthold in Shiganshina. 
> 
>  
> 
> **Warning for major manga spoilers, in case you forgot or I wasn't explicit enough about it so far.**

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**Fragment 03: Nightly Revelations**

.: :.

"What was the point of all this again?" Ymir asked grumpily.

Over dinner she had complaint about the boring formation training they had done on their horses today. Since the 57th mission beyond the walls, all of the new recruits of the Scouting Legion were stationed together under the surveillance of a couple of squad leaders. They had to work their way through training assignments that became more and more ridiculous over the weeks. All of them but Armin, Mikasa and Jean, that was. And Eren of course, but him being a titan shifter he'd been under special care right from the beginning.

"I'm sure, it will be beneficial for the next mission," Christa who had listened to her complaints offered.

"We don't need this bullshit training for that!" Ymir exclaimed loud enough to earn a few looks from her comrades who otherwise minded their own business. She paid them no heed, but simply continued speaking to the blond girl sitting opposite of her: "Everything went fine until that Female Titan showed up with a bunch of aberrants in tow, but our current training won't help us against a situation like that."

Ymir pulled a face at the thought. She hadn't encountered the Female Titan herself, but hearing about it had stirred something inside her, right beneath the surface of her consciousness. Ever since then unease had been gradually building up inside of her and she couldn't help but feel like something big was happening and it would leave none of them unaffected.

Christa had pondered her words for a moment, before she spoke up.

"Still," she said softly, "it won't do us any harm to keep our hand in these things until the next mission. After all we have to gradually advance to Shiganshina to see what is hidden away in Eren's basement."

"Yeah, I wonder about that…," Ymir murmured in reply, knitting together her eyebrows.

"Hey Ymir," Reiner quietly asked for her attention from the table behind her. She turned around to give it to him, but not without silently questioning what he wanted from her with her eyebrows raised.

The blond soldier looked around in a nervous fashion which was uncharacteristic for him. When he had checked that no one was paying them any attention he got off the bench and slipped into the free place next to Ymir. The latter watched him warily, wondering about his suspicious behaviour. Berthold, she noticed out of the corner of her eye, looked particularly nervous, too, though that wasn't too uncommon with him.

"So," Reiner whispered and leaned in, making Ymir scowl even more. She really wished he'd keep his manly face further away from her. "You think this training we're doing is suspicious?"

The dark-skinned woman rolled her eyes at him. "You honestly can stuff up your crap about being a good soldier today. I really don't want to hear it."

Reiner pulled back and huffed a short, incredulous "ha". The corners of his mouth twitched slightly upwards, but not enough to make it a grin. "I wasn't going to say anything like that," he informed her. "I just wanted your take on the current state of affairs. What makes you suspicious about the training?"

That made sense. So far Reiner had never needed privacy to call someone out on slacking off in their duty as soldiers. The way he had approached her just now, however, made it seem like they were discussing high treason (or at least something that could get them into trouble if they got overheard). Speaking of which…

"It's nothing," Ymir shrugged it off. "I'm just a paranoid person sometimes, so probably my brain was making things up." Yes, she was paranoid, but for a very good reason.

The fact that she was inside the walls where titans were considered the enemy, had her on her toes ever since she entered human territory five years ago. Thanks to Eren people now knew about the existence of titan shifters, which had her watch her back even more so. Her comrades probably wouldn't take it well if they learnt that Ymir wandered around for sixty years as a mindless, human-chewing titan and only recently had regained control over herself which had lead her into human territory during the chaotic evacuation of Wall Maria after its breach.

Eren with his constant spouting about killing all the titans had the people at least partially in his favor. If Ymir's identity as a titan shifter was discovered she doubted there was anyone that would  speak up for her. She couldn't let it get that far. She had regained control over her own life and wasn't willing to ever give it up again. Also, she didn't want to leave Christa behind. That girl had her captivated and intrigued and worried.

"You know," Reiner began after considering Ymir carefully for a quiet moment, "I think you're right. There's definitely something suspicious going on here."

The freckled woman raised her eyebrows at him curiously. However, before she could inquire about his reasons, Sasha let herself drop onto the bench next to Christa, disrupting their hushed conversation. Immediately Connie, who sat a bit further down on the same table, tore himself away from his bowl of soup with ease. He skidded up to Sasha and looked at her inquisitively.

"Where have you been?" he asked her, unaware of both Ymir and Reiner glaring at them with displeasure. "I was already worrying about you, because you seemed to be missing out on dinner."

"I was looking if there really wasn't any meat somewhere we could add to this thin soup," the brown-haired girl admitted sheepishly. "But," she raised her voice in excitement, "you won't believe what I just heart!"

Ymir cursed internally as Sasha's gaze passed over to her and made its way from Reiner around to Christa. That meant the girl was already incorporating all of them into the conversation, which left Ymir no chance to pull aside Reiner and continue their discussion about the suspicious training they were being put through.

Unlike her, Reiner actually voiced his discontent. "Don't talk so loud," he advised Sasha sharply. "Or do you want to call the whole room to attention?"

Not only Ymir gave him a surprised look at that. It became more and more obvious that the buff soldier wasn't acting like his usual self. Dark-skinned features distorted into a scowl again, his female comrade sitting next to him wondered what it was that put him on edge like that. He seemed even tenser than her and she had a really good reason for her anxiety. Unless he, too, was…

Ymir almost gasped in shock at the realisation. Had Sasha not decided to speak in just that moment, the woman was sure she'd had received all the attention of the people around her.

"You're right," Sasha whispered conspiratorially. "This probably is something you shouldn't say too loud, not here anyway. The squad leaders had lowered their voices, too, when discussing it. I don't think they want us to know, actually."

The girl paused almost dramatically, making sure she had the full attention of the small group around her.

"Well, what is it now?" Connie inquired impatiently, luckily mindful enough to keep his tone hushed.

Sasha leaned forward, beckoning them all to get closer. The tension could be felt when the four of them all bowed towards her, so she would finally spill the beans. Ymir sure hoped it was worth all the fuss and build-up or she would strangle that stupid girl.

"So, I heard the squad leaders talking in the kitchen," Sasha began and Ymir had to bite her tongue not to tell her to skip all the dramatics and finally get to the point. Luckily the young recruit obeyed without being told. "Apparently the Scouting Legion is on the verge of being disbanded."

The reactions were consistently shocked, from Reiner's incredulous "what?" over Connie's weak "no way!" to Christa's wide eyes as she pressed her hands to her mouth like she'd learnt about someone's death. Only Ymir remained silent and relatively calm. It needed more than that to upset her.

"Are you sure?" Reiner inquired after a pause in which everyone had tried to regain at least most of their composure.

Sasha's reply was a grave nod.

"But why?" Connie followed up, still sounding dumbstruck.

"I don't know," Sasha admitted quietly. "If they talked about the reason I didn't catch it."

The five recruits fell quiet again. There was not much to say, but not little to comprehend.

"But it seemed like the squad leaders actually weren't too surprised," the young soldier added eventually. "One of them said it was to be expected after the failure of the last mission."

"So," Christa spoke up for the first time, "that means we did this training for what...exactly?"

With a short side-glance Ymir caught Reiner's gaze and she knew when their eyes met that they were thinking the exact same: their suspicions seemed confirmed.

"And here's the weirdest thing of it all," Sasha added, as if she hadn't shocked them enough already. "They said something about the Female Titan and it turning out like this despite having caught her."

Ymir felt herself freeze. If Connie or Christa voiced their surprise, she couldn't hear it over the rushing of her blood. She didn't dare to look at Reiner and yet she wanted – she _needed_ to know his reaction. If she was right and Reiner was a titan shifter, was he possibly associated with the Female Titan? Had he in the end worked together with her to sabotage the mission and capture Eren?

Ymir wasn't naïve – she had seen too much of the world to be innocently oblivious to how things worked. Still she found it hard to believe that Reiner had actually something to do with the attack on the Scouting Legion upon leaving the Karanese District. He had always stuck out as a supportive comrade which had earned him the trust of many of their co-trainees. And she'd always had the impression that he honestly cared about everyone. Him being involved in something that put others at least in harm's way – and to their deaths more often than not, seemed off. But his behaviour tonight seemed off as well.

So far her assumptions were ranging in the field of mere speculation. For all Ymir knew Reiner could be a lone shifter (like her) unrelated to anyone and it was all just a huge coincidence that they had all ended up in the same place. But she didn't believe in coincidences like that and the rising amount of shifters was too suspicious to be ignored. There was a chance of at least two of them working together and there was only one place in which shifters appeared in pairs of two or bigger groups: the village.

Ymir's heart dropped at the thought. Her memories from before her blurry sixty years of wandering as a titan were incomplete and jumbled up, but she still remembered the village. And she knew that she never ever wanted to go there again, nor be found by any of its people.

Beside her, Reiner shifted and she glanced over to see him get up.

"Where are you going?" she inquired. She was no longer keen on continuing their previous conversation about the training, but that he would leave without at least trying to arrange a private talk with her after he had been only too interested in just that earlier surprised her.

"I remembered I still have a soup to finish," he replied. "Even if it's probably cold by now, it would be a waste not to eat all of it."

Ymir just nodded. She knew it was mostly an excuse, but she didn't want to cause a confrontation, so she let it go. Her eyes followed Reiner as he returned to his table and she watched him over her shoulder for as long as she dared. The way he leaned closer to Berthold upon sitting back down she knew what she could've easily realised upon evaluating their training years together: Berthold was a shifter, too, and he, Reiner and whoever was the Female Titan were most definitely from the village.

Ymir turned around, silently cursing her bad luck. Presumably the Female Titan had been a member of their training corps as well.

.: :.

Avoiding Reiner and Berthold for the rest of the evening had been easy. The two of them had disappeared after finishing dinner and that was that. Ymir tried not to think about them too much, but she couldn't help lying anxiously in bed, listening intently for any suspicious sounds. She couldn't sleep when she knew there were two shifters from the village here that had just learnt about the possible capture of their ally – whoever it was that could turn into the Female Titan.

She had already accepted not to be able to relax and get any rest tonight. That didn't mean she enjoyed lying awake and restless in her bed. After a while of listening to the eerie silence in the building, Ymir pushed her covers away and got up. Careful not to disturb her roommates, she snuck over to the window and looked outside.

The moon was almost full again and the dark autumn clouds lifted occasionally to let its rays through. The white light fell onto the scenery beneath, edging out dark shadows. They were in an isolated building somewhere south-west of Wall Sina. There was hardly anything in the nearer vicinity, not even woods. It looked indeed peaceful out there, but it didn't help much to soothe her restlessness.

Ymir turned around to look at Christa soundly sleeping in her bed. The house offered the luxury of quadripartite rooms and it hadn't even needed saying that Ymir and Christa would share one. Sasha mumbled something in her dreams and turned around in her top bunk. The fourth bed was unoccupied. There were more than enough beds for the small group of fresh Scouting Legion recruits and their squad leaders.

The moonlight shining into the bedroom was bright enough to illuminate Christa's relaxed features and Ymir couldn't help but let her gaze linger on the sight. She wondered where she'd be if it wasn't for that small girl with the golden hair who she had sought out from curiosity but who then had captivated her and left her unwilling to let go.

She wasn't even sure how it had happened. Ymir couldn't say that she had a special consideration for kindness and selflessness the why Christa portrayed it. What actually had struck her was the impression that beneath that saint-like demeanour lay something else entirely and she had been trying to coax it out of Christa ever since their early training days together.

Ymir sighed quietly. Thinking too much exhausted her, especially tonight when everything seemed suspicious to her. Not even the soft pink shade of Christa's lips could take her mind of unpleasant things. Her desire wasn't enough to outweigh her anxiety.

Following a spontaneous suggestion, Ymir got dressed. Perhaps a walk would help shut her brain off. At least the idea sounded better than just sitting around, left to stare and think. And maybe – just maybe – some exercise would allow her to catch some hours of sleep when she got back from it.

Cautious not to disturb anyone, Ymir snuck out of the room. The floorboard creaked occasionally under her weight, but she assumed it wouldn't be enough to disrupt someone in their sleep and hoped that it wouldn't make anyone curious who was still awake.

On the stairs she had to tread more carefully, but she walked slowly and placed her steps with the most consideration, managing a relatively quiet descent. When she reached the ground floor, however, her focus on leaving the house was swayed. At the other end of the hallway, she notice torchlight flowing out of the half-open door to the mess-hall. She hesitated, wondering who was still up and what they were doing.

Ymir had a strict policy of minding her own business and stay of that of others as best as possible, but she hadn't neglected that for the first time. (Her involvement with Christa spoke for itself.) So she did not ignore the light falling into the hallway and leave to take her planned walk. Instead she slowly approached the occupied mess-hall from which it came.

She stayed close to the wall as she snuck up to find out who was in there. Even if Ymir had decided to poke into other people's business, she was better safe than sorry and preferred not be clearly visible in the middle of the hallway, just in case someone should decide to come here.

The sound of muffled voices reached Ymir's ears. She couldn't make out any words yet, but by the time she reached the end of the hallway, pressed against the wall, she was able to listen in on the conversation.

"...we know that she's not lying?" said the voice that Ymir recognised as Renee's.

"We don't," was Mike's reply. "We have to trust in Erwin to have considered all the possibilities and determine this as the best and necessary step to be taken."

"But how do we go about it?" a man named Gerger asked. "We're talking about two titan shifters here. They already had difficulties capturing the Female Titan and that was with several squads and Eren working together."

"We catch them by surprise," Mike explained.

Ymir felt a hand press against her mouth. Shit!, she thought, realising that she had been too transfixed on the conversation of the squad leaders to keep her guard up.

Letting her eyes move sideways Ymir recognised Reiner in the dim light falling into the hallway. He pressed the index finger of his free hand to his lips, indicating for her to remain quiet. Behind him towered Berthold's tall figure. Something about the way they both looked at her told her Reiner hadn't just placed his hand on her mouth to stop her from shouting in surprise at their sudden appearance. They didn't intend to let her go.

Her gaze swayed back to the half open door of the mess-hall. Mike was still speaking and she registered again what he was actually saying: "…they don't know we identified and captured the Female Titan. They don't know Annie Leonhard sold them out."

Ymir felt the hand on her mouth tighten. She glanced over to Reiner whose face was contorted in anger while Berthold behind him looked awfully distressed. She understood their reactions as a clear confirmation of her suspicions.

"That piece of shit!" Reiner hissed just above his breath.

Ymir knew he meant Annie and somehow she wasn't surprised that their blond comrade was a titan shifter. Somehow she wasn't even surprised that the Female Titan had sold out her supposed allies. Annie had always struck her as selfish beyond compare – even worse than Ymir was herself.

What worried her now, however, was the change she sensed in Reiner's behaviour. There was nothing left of the guy that had been like an older brother to all of the trainees. In front of her stood an animal that felt threatened and it had her in her grip.

Ymir was no fool. There were two of them and she was alone. But she could stand her ground and neither of them could shift during night time. And she'd be damned if she stayed in his hands. Also, the squad leaders were only on the other side of the door.

With as much strength as she could muster Ymir brought down her boot on Reiner's foot. He howled in pain and let go of her. She swirled around to punch him before he could think of doing anything funny, but faced a steel blade and froze. Her eyes shifted down his torso to his hips and she realised he was fully equipped with the Three Dimensional Manoeuvre Gear – as was Berthold behind him.

She had no clue where the two of them got the equipment since they all had been stationed here without their own 3DMGs, but she had a good idea why they had made sure to get their hands on them. Though it didn't make sense to her that they were still lingering around at the risk of getting caught if they were intending to escape.

Either way the three of them had made enough of a racket for the squad leaders in the mess-hall to hear them. The sound of approaching footsteps was followed by light flooding the hallway as the door was pulled open. Ymir looked over to recognise Mike standing in the doorway, the other squad leaders remaining in the background. He gave the scene a quick look-over and Ymir thought she could see the muscles in his body tense at the sight of Reiner and Berthold.

"What is going on here?" their superior demanded.

Ymir noticed the blade move closely past her neck, trapping her in between Reiner and the wall. She wasn't so worried about being cut up, but the chance of being exposed as a titan shifter because her wounds healed in an instant was something she wasn't willing to risk. Neither in front of the humans around, nor the other shifters who were associated to a place she was glad she'd gotten away from.

"Oh, I think you're getting a good idea of what's going on here," Reiner responded with a voice which held malice. "We've got a hostage and if you don't want us to harm her you're going to tell us where Annie is."

This is just fantastic!, Ymir thought. Despite her efforts to stay out of things she had ended up right in the middle of it. This was why you shouldn't be curious or at least not act upon your curiosity. First she had overheard those priests talking about Christa which had led Ymir to join the military, because she had been _curious_ about the girl they had mentioned. Now she was being used as leverage, because she had been _curious_ to see who was still up at this time of night. What an idiot she was after all.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Mike stated, obviously still set on keeping the charade up. Of course he knew what Reiner was on about. He just had discussed capturing Reiner and Berthold with his comrades since Annie Leonhard sold them out. At least Ymir had concluded that despite the squad leaders not mentioning their names in the part of the conversation she had overheard.

Reiner wasn't going to be fooled either.

"Don't pretend like you have no clue," he growled. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, now tell us where the fuck that _traitorous piece of garbage_ is or I'll slit Ymir's throat." His voice had grown louder in irritation with every word and he moved the blade closer to Ymir's throat to emphasise that he meant it.

Berthold actually exclaimed a weak "Reiner…" at that, but that seemed to be all the interference to expect from the tall boy.

Mike seemed to understand that playing oblivious wasn't going to work. "She's well-guarded. Why would you risk getting caught for a traitor?"

"She's ours to deal with, not yours," Reiner stated dismissively.

"I'm afraid I can't let that happen," Mike objected. "Why don't you let Ymir go and we sit down and talk about this?"

He held his hands up in a calming manner. Behind him, however, the other squad leaders had gripped the steering handles of their 3DMG, ready to connect them with their blades and draw them out. That didn't look like the preparations for a nice talk to Ymir, but she couldn't blame them considering the situation.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Reiner exclaimed. "Like hell you just want to  have a nice chat with us!"

"Reiner," Berthold repeated and this time his tone was more urgent.

Reiner shot him a side-glance, then seemed to make up his mind. "We're leaving," he stated and pulled Ymir away from the wall. "And you better not follow us – and I mean no one at all or I can't guarantee for her safety!"

He walked backwards to keep his eyes on the squad leaders and dragged Ymir along. The senior scouts exchanged looks but Mike signalled them with a wave of his hand to stay put. It looked like they were letting them go and Ymir came up with all kinds of names for their lazy asses. Was that really all they were trying to do for her? What kind of shit comrades were they? What kind of shit squad leader was Mike?

Then again, most members of the Scouting Legion seemed to be considered disposable by the leading fraction if she considered how the 57th mission had gone down. So she probably should be grateful they didn't cause her to get cut up. In the end she had to blame herself for getting caught up in this mess.

Ymir cursed yet again as Reiner led her out of the building with the blade to her throat. This clearly wasn't the kind of walk she'd had in mind.

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End file.
